The present invention relates to conveyors, and, in particular, to a stop that is used to stop articles that are moving along the conveyor.
Stops have been used on conveyors for some time, particularly in assembly operations, where the product is assembled at various stops along the conveyor line. Some stops use a cylinder to gradually decelerate the article and cushion the stopping action, so that the articles being conveyed are not jolted when they are stopped. However, when the article is released, the stop is usually slid straight down, and the pallet or other article tends to jump as it is released by this mechanism, so that the jarring of the articles takes place upon release. The pallet also tends to wear at the corner, because of this jumping action. Also, the stop is constantly under load as it is holding the article against the force of the conveyor, and sliding the stop with that constant force on it creates substantial friction. It is also very difficult to seal the linear bearing surface, which means that dirt gets into the bearing surface, causing wear and other problems.